Network operators constantly compete for new subscribers, frequently by poaching subscribers from competing network operators. Subscribers become “churners” when they discontinue their subscription (service plan) with one operator and move to a new operator. Network operators work hard to minimize churn, given the costs associated with obtaining new subscribers versus retaining existing subscribers.
Minimizing churn requires an understanding of who churned and why. Thus, churn analysis might be supposed as having three main components: (1) predicting whether a particular subscriber will churn and when; (2) detecting that a particular subscriber has churned; and (3) preventing additional churn by identifying why a particular subscriber churned. Network operators use certain aspects of subscriber churn prediction and detection, but churn prevention based on churner identification is a nascent technology.